Networking is About Relationships

If you’ve read anything I’ve written about networking (click on categories at the right and Networking to catch up), you know that I’m a big fan!

Today’s post is a reminder that networking isn’t about a meeting, it’s about a relationship.  If you flit from one networking contact to another without bothering to follow up with anyone, you will not reap the benefits of networking.

If you are trying to network with HR professionals or hiring managers, you are less likely to be successful with your networking.  Plan to meet and connect with people who are in the job you’d like to have and those who are a step or two above you.  Give them a reason to be interested in you!  Share information.  Ask about them and their career paths.  Ask about their company and its goals and methods.  The goal is to make contacts who may later suggest your name when an opening comes up, not to send your resume to a lot of people.

If you are sitting home, zapping resumes to this posting and that posting, you are not likely to have much luck.  Weave your career net instead of constantly casting off in search of a hit.  You’ll be better off.

Keppie Careers – We write resumes and support you in your job search.

http://www.keppiecareers.com

Interviewing Positively

Would you want to hire someone who trashed her former employer?  As the next and future employer, you might be concerned about your own reputation should bad blood come between you and the new hire.

No matter how much you hated your old boss or loathe your current supervisor, it is a BAD idea to let anyone interviewing you know about it.

Instead, try to put the situation in the best possible light if pressed and avoid discussing it if possible.  Negativity can only hurt you, so why go there?

__________________ 

Keppie Careers can write your resume and offer mock interviews to get you ready for your next opportunity!  Our mission:  to advise, encourage and enlighten job seekers.  Visit www.keppiecareers.com to see how we can support you in your job search.

Netweaving – An Underutilized Job Search Strategy

I attended a networking meeting this week, and one of the participants talked about “netWEAVING,” the process of creating communities to help one another find solutions for problems.

This is not a new concept.  An article by TechRepublic by Michael Sisco explains:

The term was coined by Bob Littell, a consultant who focuses on strategic marketing, product design, development, and implementation issues within the financial services industry. Rather than going to the “party” to learn what you can that might lead to new business, you attend with the intent of learning all you can from as many people as possible about their business, their needs, and their challenges. The objective is to try to help as many people as you can. The help or insight you provide may be putting them in touch with someone you know or sharing insight that can help the other person.

This approach, which is reciprocal by design, may be more comfortable for those who view networking in a negative way because it seems too much like “using people.”  If you focus on going out to seek and share information, your return will be even greater!

Keppie Careers can transform your resume and help you learn how to network and netweave!  Our mission is to advise, encourage and enlighten job seekers!
www.keppiecareers.com

More on Networking: Who, What, When, Where and Why!

Finding a job may seem overwhelming.

You need to:

• Know what you want to do. 
• Create a great resume that shows how you can do it. 
• Find opportunities that may not be advertised.
• Generate opportunities for yourself that may not exist otherwise!

That is where networking comes in.  Networking recognizes that relationships are the crux of the job search.  Employers prefer to hire people whom they like, or people their friends or colleagues admire.   Job searchers need to put themselves in the position of being that person!

Don’t forget – approximately 80% of jobs are NOT filled through job postings.  They are filled via networking.  Google it.  Convinced?
 
How do you get started?

First of all, please start networking before you are looking for a job!  Don’t wait another minute!

Many think of networking as something that happens on-line.  I’ve been amazed at the connections available on LinkedIn, and other social networking sites like facebook or myspace, used correctly, may open doors.  Take advantage of all of your virtual resources.  Keep in mind that networking happens in person, too!  Don’t forget:

• Relatives
• Friends (especially those in the workplace)
• Friends of friends
• Professors and Deans
• Former employers and co-workers
• Neighbors and acquaintances
• Alumni (of undergraduate and graduate schools)

 Where/When should I network?

• Professional associations/conferences
• Work events and meetings, social and professional
• Classes
• Alumni events
• Social events
• Community events
• Elevators — collect business cards
• Airplanes
• Anywhere, all of the time!

Stay tuned for Networking:  Obstacles and Shy Networkers and Networking Strategies.

 keppiecareers.com…We advise, encourage, enlighten!

Best Careers and Unemployment

It’s not great news for the US economy…Numbers show that unemployment is at a 2-year high.  In December, the economy only added 18,000 jobs instead of the 70,000 predicted.  These are the worst numbers reported since August 2003.

If you are in the construction, manufacturing and retail sectors, these are not good times for your industry.   Health care and professional services did much better, gaining jobs.

As you think about “A New Career for a New Year,” consider reviewing US News & World Report’s “Best Careers for 2008.”  Some of their selections may surprise you.  Consider if angling toward a career predicted to have a rosier future might be right for you.   (Keeping in mind that not all predictions actually come true!)   What are your transferable skills?  Could you use them to market yourself into a whole new career? 

This is a great time for some self-searching and research.  Maybe it is time for a whole new direction!

keppiecareers.com…We advise, encourage, enlighten!

What are you offering?

It may be tough to think about yourself as a commodity – something to sell, like you might sell a car or a television.  Let’s face it, though, it is a tough job market, and if you can create a pitch for yourself, you will have a leg up on the competition.

A simple task for today – ask yourself:  Why hire me?

A more difficult task – ANSWER!

If you don’t know, who does?

Stay tuned for more on marketing yourself into a new career….

 keppiecareers.com…We advise, encourage, enlighten!

New Year’s Networking

2007 draws quickly to a close.  Keppie Careers hopes that a job search and a new career are in your plans for 2008! 

Many new job seekers or people who haven’t looked for a job in a long time may not know about the “Hidden Job Market.”  Sounds sinister, but all it really means is that most (70 – 80% or more!) of jobs aren’t actually filled with people applying to a job posting or announcement; they are filled via personal connections.

Since 70-80% is a huge number of jobs, it’s a good idea to get on this networking bandwagon!  Networking is a huge topic, and I have tons to say on the subject, but since we are coming up on a holiday, let’s leave it at this:

You will probably be out and about this week celebrating the New Year and potentially meeting new people.  Take the opportunity to think about how you can work your career plans and goals into the festive conversations you’ll have. 

How can you introduce yourself with an eye toward seeing if there is a potential career link with your new acquaintance?  Ask someone about their New Year’s Resolution, and then tell them yours:

You hope to use your skills and experiences in _____________ to move into a position doing ______________.  

If they are interested in your field or know something about it, they may ask you for more details.  Consider pre-planning a  a 30-second infomercial for yourself!   What do you have to offer? 

You never know where you’ll meet the professional connection that will link you to a new opportunity.

Stay tuned for more on the crucial topic of networking!  Happy New Year!

 keppiecareers.com…We advise, encourage, enlighten!

Attractive and Easy to Read Resumes

So, on top of everything else, your resume needs to be attractive and easy to read!  An aesthetically pleasing resume may catch the eye of an overburdened hiring manager and win your resume an extra glance.  When I review resumes, I don’t even bother to read the ones that look disorganized or unprofessional on a first pass. A few tips to consider for a resume that pleases the eye:

Fonts
Since you are likely to e-mail your resume as an attachment at some point in your job search, choose a font that is easy to read and readily available to all computer users.  If you downloaded or purchased optional fonts, it isn’t likely that your reader will be able to view your resume as you designed it.  Stick to fonts such as: Arial, Book Antiqua, Georgia, Garaomond, Tahoma,  Times New Roman and Verdona.  Avoid Courier (looks like you used your grandmother’s typewriter) and all script or decorative fonts.  Fancy fonts are difficult to read quickly.

Keppie Careers suggests 10-pont font because it is large enough to read, but small enough to fit a lot of material on your document.

Bullet Points
Use bullet points instead of dense paragraphs of information to help the reader zero in on what you have to offer.  Keep the bullet points to the point – you don’t want paragraph-style bullets!

White Space
This is a tricky one…Be sure to use white space, but don’t include so much white space that it looks like you don’t have anything to offer!  When your resume is awash in white space, the reader may assume (maybe correctly!) you don’t have much experience.  Don’t fill every nook and cranny with text, but fill your page.  If you have more than one page (this is  topic for another article) be sure that you have enough to fill at least 3/4 of the second page.  Otherwise (again), you risk looking like you don’t have much experience.
 

Format
Consider your audience when you format your resume.  If you are sending it to an artistic crowd, feel free to be more creative with your format.  If you are hoping for a job in an investment bank, stick to conservative formatting.  Your research and conversations with professionals in your field will help inform you.

Name and Contact Information
Okay – I know that you want to stand out and be different, but do everyone a favor and don’t put your name and contact information on the bottom…Everyone who reads it will automatically assume you’ve left off your name!

Bold
I’ve alluded to this in another article – don’t mis-use or overuse bold!  Bold can help guide the eye from description to description, or it can confuse the eye.  When you read your resume, do the bold words stand out for a good reason?  If not, reformat!

Headings
Your major headings (for example:  Highlights, Accomplishments, Experience, Education) should be well defined and consistently labeled.  (If they are centered, all should be centered…ALL CAPS?  Bolded?  Choose a format that works.  Focus on the reader -what will make it easiest to read?

If you keep these ideas in mind when designing your resume, you’ll be on your way to a “New Career for a New Year!”

_____________________ 

Keppie Careers can help you transform your resume and advise you about your job search!  www.keppiecareers.com